Kilingili murders should be solved expeditiously

A woman cries after viewing the bodies of four guards at Kilingili market on Sunday. [Eric Lungai, Standard]

Nothing speaks loudly of growing insecurity than the Sunday murder of five security guards in Kilingili, a market on the Vihiga and Kakamega Counties border. This came after bandits attacked Lomelo in Turkana County on Sunday, killing a police reservist.

Granted, criminals will always be found within society, but the circumstances around the deaths in Kilingili point accusing fingers at the police. Claims that officers at Kilingili police post, a mere 50 metres from the killing field failed to respond to the distress calls ostensibly because the area in question does not fall under their jurisdiction are distressing.

In executing their mandate, the police have no boundary, for their service is to all Kenyans; amply captured by their motto; ‘Utumishi kwa wote’ (service to all). It has not been disputed that some of the dead guards had reported threats to their lives to the police, yet no action was taken.

Five people killed in the same locality with nothing stolen from the premises they guarded speaks of premeditation, a whiff of which the police should have gotten. It is inconceivable that the commotion and distress from the attack did not arouse the police, only metres away.

But even as we demand that acts of lawlessness be contained, citizens should be willing to volunteer information about those they suspect to the police for investigations.

It behooves the police to get to the root of the killings in Kilingili and bring perpetrators of the heinous crime to book.